This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.
The original letter is extant and usually available for academic research purposes
Gregorian
This letter is part of the Primary Texts section of the Thomas Gray Archive.
XML created for the Thomas Gray Archive.
This letter is part of the correspondence calendar of the complete correspondence of Thomas Gray. The calendar contains detailed bibliographic records for all known original, copied, or published letters written by or to the poet as well as the full-text, where available. Each record is accompanied by digitised images of the manuscript, where available, or digitised images of the first printed edition.
All this time have I been waiting to say something to the purpose, & now am just as far off as at first. Stuart appointed Mr Weddell an hour, when I was to meet him, & (after staying an infinite while at his lodgings
in expectation) he never came: indeed he was gone out of Town. the drawing & your questions remain in Weddell's hands to be shew'd to this Rogue, as soon as he can meet with him: but I firmly believe, when he
has got them, he will do nothing. so you must tell me, what I am to do with them. I have shew'd the Epitaph to no one but Hurd, who
entirely approves it. he made no objection, but to one line (& that was mine) Heav'n lifts &c: so if you please to make another, you may: for my part I rather like it still.
I begin to think of drawing northwards (if my wretched matters will let me) & am going to write to Mr Brown about it. you are to
consider, whether you will be able or willing to receive us at Aston about a fortnight hence, or whether we are to find you at York,
where I suppose you to be at present. this you will let me know soon, & if I am disappointed, I will tell you in time. you will
tell me, what to do with your Zumpe,
wch has amused me much here. if you would have it sent down, I had better commit it to its Maker, who
will tune it & pack it up. Dr Long has bought the fellow to it. the base is not quite of a piece with the treble, & the higher
notes are somewhat dry & sticky: the rest discourses very eloquent musick.
Gisburne, Fraser, & Stonhewer, often enquire kindly after you, with many more.